


Bounty

by antimorston



Series: Cowboy’s Sweetheart [1]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Bounty Hunters, Established Relationship, M/M, On the Run, also only kinda, but only kinda lol, look they're in love and they're outlaws what more can i say
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 13:28:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18966178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/antimorston/pseuds/antimorston
Summary: Charles and Arthur have a plan.





	Bounty

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by a message [a friend of mine](https://leontwinkkennedy.tumblr.com/) sent in a discord we're in together! linked is her tumblr

Arthur tied the gag himself, his warm gaze following Charles as he shrugged on his hunting jacket.

“You sure ‘bout this?” His eyes met Arthur’s, and the criminal smiled around the gag at him, nodding. He smiled back, albeit nervously. Arthur turned his back when he saw Charles get the lasso off of Taima, offering his hands to be tied. “You seem very enthusiastic about this,” Charles murmured as he looped the rope around Arthur’s wrists. “Too tight?” Arthur shook his head, flexing his fingers to show Charles that he could still move without being in pain. “Alright.” His feet were next, then he was slung across his own saddle, careful hands making sure he wasn’t in an uncomfortable position.

The ride into Strawberry from their camp was short, and Arthur had a nice view of Charles’s back, a bow slung across it and a pistol at his belt. Overall, a great experience, despite the fact that he was tied up and bouncing every time Biscuit hit a bump on the trail.

Charles rode slow down the street toward the jailhouse, pulling at the lasso around Biscuit’s neck just for show.

“Arthur Morgan,” he said, voice filled with  imitated venom, “I can’t _wait_ to watch you hang!” He gloated about catching Arthur every time someone new came into sight, his voice biting but with an undertone of teasing affection that only Arthur could hear.

As they neared the jail, his taunting became louder, until he pulled Taima to a stop and dismounted, approaching Biscuit’s side. He twisted Arthur onto his back and pulled him off of the saddle by the ropes around his chest, almost letting him fall into the dirt before he grabbed the front of Arthur’s shirt with one hand. Arthur, in silent awe, stared up at his face. His eyes glittered as the moonlight formed a halo around his head. His messy braid, done earlier in the day by Arthur, hung over one shoulder. He smiled, angelic, and let go of his shirt. Arthur dropped the remaining half foot to the ground with a groan. Charles was at his feet instantly, untying the rope. Almost too quickly, he grabbed Arthur again and jerked him to his feet, jeering loudly. His fingers clutched the back of Arthur’s shirt collar and he pulled Arthur almost flush against him.

“You alright?” He whispered, mouth hot against Arthur’s ear. He nodded, mouth itching to kiss him, but the current situation, and gag, stopped him dead.

“I’ll find you,” he hissed instead, writhing in Charles’s grip.

“You’re going to be on a rope by morning, you ain’t going to be finding _nobody_.” Charles pushed him forward, up the steps to the jail. Upon seeing the outlaw and the hunter enter, the sheriff jumped out of his seat and grabbed his gun. “Hey there, officer,” Charles greeted. “Found you a wanted man. Alive, too.”

Arthur snarled at the sheriff, who seemed to be in shock, standing there for over a minute before Charles sighed.

“Came to turn him in,” he added, impatience starting to bleed into his voice. Out of sight of the sheriff and the deputies, his thumb rubbed a circle against Arthur’s neck. “Ran into him while I was hunting, recognized him from all of the wanted posters. Figured I’d get that bounty.”

That seemed to finally spur the lawmen into action, all three of them roughly grabbing Arthur and wrestling him toward a cell. Charles watched them with careful eyes, and Arthur knew that he would be checking him over for bruises later.

He stood at the desk until the sheriff came back, digging through his desk for the bounty. With shaky hands, he passed a hundred crisp twenty dollar bills to Charles before sitting down in his chair and sighing. “When’s he going to hang?” Charles asked, nonchalant.

“Some time this week.” One of the deputies answered from behind Charles. “We didn’t expect him to be brought in so early. We ain’t had time to plan the party yet.” The bounty hunter laughed with the lawmen, his dark eyes completely emotionless. On his way out, he threw a wink to Arthur.

Arthur, knowing he would be safe with Charles by the time dawn broke, let himself fall into a dreamless, uncomfortable sleep on the rough cot of the jail cell. He woke to the door creaking open, a large man walking through the frame, shrouded in darkness. The light of the oil lamp was low, but the three men in Arthur’s company were wide awake, greeting Charles as he came back in.

“I set up a tab for y’all down at the saloon, figured you could use a night to celebrate this bastard’s capture.” The lawmen looked at each other, surprised, but stood gleefully. “I can watch over him. Least I could do, since I was paid so well,” Charles continued. The sheriff almost tripped over himself taking the keys from his belt, but he eventually got them and followed his deputies out of the door. Charles waited until their footsteps couldn’t be heard on the porch anymore, then sauntered over to Arthur’s cell. “Lawmen are the dumbest bastards in this entire country,” he said, smiling as he sorted through the keys. He found the skeleton key for the cell door and unlocked it, swinging the door open to let Arthur out. “Are you alright?”

“Now that I have you here.”

Charles laughed, grabbing his hand and leading him toward the back door. They met their horses at the bottom of the steps, but Charles stopped Arthur from mounting Biscuit. “Should I keep the keys?” He asked, twirling the ring around on his finger. “As a souvenir?”

Arthur laughed and used their connected hands to pull Charles close before he kissed him. “Do whatever you want with them, let’s just get our asses to Canada.”

Charles grinned against his lips. “I think I’ll keep them.”

**Author's Note:**

> again, i love these cowboyes if u enjoyed this pwease consider checking out my [charthur blog](https://transcharthur.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
